BMC corporators to deal with illegal hoardings

BHUBANESWAR: The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) has decided to involve corporators to deal effectively with the menace of illegal billboards, banners and posters ahead of Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup - 2018.

The civic body will form WhatsApp groups with its corporators to gather information on the illegal hoardings, banners and posters put up across the Capital. A decision in this regard was taken at a recent meeting of the civic body. A BMC official said the corporators have been roped in for the drive as removing the illegal hoardings will not be easy due to the interest of different political parties. A poster war among the political parties prior to Asian Athletics Championship last year had put the civic body in a fix prompting it to declare certain stretches in the city as ‘no-hoarding zones’.

As per the BMC decision, the corporators along with BMC officials will be required to post information including photographs of illegal hoardings and posters in the group. Based on the information, a BMC squad will visit the spot and remove those. “All corporators have been instructed to coordinate with the civic body authorities for the purpose. Illegal hoardings and posters, irrespective of any agency or political party, will be removed immediately,” an official of the civic body said.

The stretch from Biju Patnaik International Airport to Rabindra Mandap Square, the old town area and Governor House Square to Jayadev Vihar have already been declared ‘no hoarding zones’, said BMC Deputy Commissioner Srimanta Mishra.

Sources said the civic body will launch an extensive drive to remove unauthorised hoardings from these stretches on a priority basis. Besides, prior permission will have to be obtained from BMC for putting up billboards..